(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a bulb socket which can receive both a round base bulb and a wedge base bulb.
(2) Statement of the Prior Art
Heretofore, two kinds of bulbs have been used in lighting fixtures for an automobile, namely a round base bulb and a wedge base bulb. The round base bulb includes a glass bulb body which accommodates a filament, a round base attached to a lower end of the bulb body, and positive and negative contacts provided on an end face and a peripheral face of the base. The wedge base bulb includes a glass bulb body which accommodates a filament, a flat base attached to a lower end of the bulb body, a pair of lead wires which are connected to the opposite ends of the filament and drawn out of a lower end of the base, and positive and negative contacts which are formed by turning an end of each lead wire onto a side face of the base so that the respective ends are disposed on opposite sides. These bulbs are inserted into the respective bulb receiving holes so that the respective contacts of the bulbs contact with the respective contact pieces mounted in the respective holes.
Since the round base bulb is different from the wedge base bulb with respect to a configuration of a base to be inserted into the bulb, a configuration and an arrangement of contacts on the base and a configuration of contact pieces to be contacted with the contacts, configurations of the bulb sockets to receive the bulbs and contact pieces are naturally different from each other.
Accordingly, conventional bulb sockets for the round base bulb and the wedge base bulb had different structures. However, it will be preferable for the respective bulb socket to receive both kinds of bulb in order to lower production costs.